08 December 2009

it all started so well...

coffee and mince pies in the garden whilst admiring a new bike and amusing small children. before we set off i declared myself as a liabilitly, all tools and tubes in the other bag. not to worry, between us we'll be fine.

rolling along the quiet roads the rain began to fall but once onto the muddy farm tracks this doesn't seem to matter anymore. still admiring the new bike and discussing the possibilities of 'cross racing next year. yeh, this is the start of a good ride.

until those fateful words are uttered, "i've think i've got a flat", "you can't have, it's raining!". off the bridleway and under a street lamp, the full horror is illuminated-thorns. not just the every day variety but the kind that could kill a man, thicker than pencils and more sharp than a needle.

9 in total. "no! don't pull them out". a closer inspection reveals all three bikes have been attacked, only one rear trye is spared. then the realisation that the only spare tube is 700c. the rain falls a little bit harder as the patches are brought out. a nip of whisky to keep warm. tube pumping to get even warmer.

directly home on deflating rubber. extra hot chocolate and caramel wafers revive our damp cold bones. tomorrow i will be mostly repairing old inner tubes.

9 comments:

trio said...

As long as you are sat on the sofa that is an ok task for sofa day ;-)

Red Bike said...

At least you were able to ride back. I ended up pushing the bike home several times last month.

kate said...

trio- i think i can do that from the sofa ;)

simon- that's exactly what alex said about the steamroller....

red- yeh, i've learned my lesson. i'm never leaving home without a tube and patches

kate said...

i'm on 3/3!! glad you're feeling better

Ian Charters said...

I think the extra hot chocolate was hard earned and well deserved :)

kate said...

and the doughnut when i got back to mine ;)

chris said...

Has Jane invested in a doughnut making machine!?

Rear tyre's flat - heavy rain and puncture fixing doesn't mix!

Latex in schwalbe tubes from now on I think!

How's the new brake fitting?

trio said...

New brake?

kate said...

chris- kinda, she has to pass sainsburys on the way home ;) after bike cleaning and puncture repairing i'd had enough of bike stuff. weekend probably...

trio- yeh, i got some secondhand ones a while back. hopefully they'll fit the frame better but i've yet to try them-you know how rubbish i am with spannering!!